Activision Successfully Reboots Halo If They Do These 3 Things

If Activision is going to handle the Halo handoff successfully, it will likely require a major shift. 343 Studios, most recently known as Halo Studios, controlled the franchise for over a decade. During that time, they released titles that failed to capture the magic and fan response of Bungie’s first three games. Here’s the thing: I don’t think Bungie had a special recipe or secret to their games. They understood what made Halo work, and if Activision can do these three things, they’ll bring the series back to its former glory. Let’s start with the framework with which the new team is going to build this next chapter for Master Chief.

Move Halo Into the IW Engine That Powers Call of Duty

I know we just saw Halo: Campaign Evolved launch in Unreal Engine 5. I also know it’s a distinct experience from Call of Duty. That said, I want to see Activision build its Halo team from folks who know how to develop well-optimized games in an engine they know well. That means likely using the IW Engine, Infinity Ward’s ecosystem for building modern CoD games. Will that potentially change the fabric of how Halo looks and feels? Not necessarily.

If you want to capture what made Halo the franchise that once skyrocketed online multiplayer to new heights, we need to be realistic. The world-building and story behind Halo make the game what it is. Yes, things like a physics engine have a distinct impression on the feeling of Halo that we don’t see in modern CoD games. That said, IW Engine would likely be a much easier lift for any Activision devs moving into this project than an engine they haven’t been invested in for years. Plus, changing the engine will likely mean we feel and see a difference in what Halo brings to the table compared to past years. Which is good, since I also think another big change is needed.

Reboot the Whole Master Chief Journey…Again

Halo Infinite was a soft relaunch; Halo: Campaign Evolved was a return to the original first entry. What we haven’t seen is a true back-to-basics revisiting of what makes that initial Master Chief experience so compelling. Start the story with the fall of Reach, and let us see what leads the Pillar of Autumn to Halo. Give us a good reason to feel like this planet we know well is actually still full of surprises. Keep the beats you feel are integral to the overall tale we’ve seen play out over 20 years, but don’t be afraid to give it a new flair.

The fact is, more people who game today think Halo is irrelevant than not. There’s a cohort of folks my age and older who have a deep, secure place for Halo in their hearts. A whole other majority, however, might think of the games as a boomer shooter well past its prime. Are they wrong? I’m not sure that’s worth debating right now, but what is worth debating is whether the series can stand another stumble. Don’t fall into the trap of nostalgia haze and feel like this is an untouchable tale we can’t adjust or modernize. That issue of modernizing the game goes beyond the story if Activision is going to succeed with its Halo project.

When In Doubt, Lean Modern and Let The Past Be the Past

Things like a grapple gun and infinite spring made Halo Infinite feel distinct from past titles. It’s funny that so much uproar developed around the increased mobility features. If they had put out an open-world Halo without them, we would have complained things moved too slowly. You can’t win every online argument with the gaming community, and I think one worth relenting on is the idea that somehow sprinting in an FPS game in 2026 is up for debate. It’s not, and honestly, the omnimovement system is part of what made Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Multiplayer great.

If you want to work on a mechanic where Master Chief’s shields deplete slowly while sprinting to incentivize a more grounded combat experience, fine. However, I think we’re past the point of pretending anything but a mobile Halo experience will fly with today’s gaming community. Do you have any ideas for what might make Activision’s first foray into the Halo series successful? Drop your thoughts in the comments!